sieber



2 S heet s-Sheet 1.

0. SIEBER 8; F. H. BORNTRAEGER.

BURIAL CASKET.

No. 329,495. Patented Nov. 3, 18 85:.

(No Model) (No MmieL) '2 Sheets-Sheet? C. SIEBER & P. H. BORNTRAEGER.

BURIAL GASKET.

Patented No v. 3; 1885.

@Hlim-r-Whw N. PFIERS. Pmw-Lnm m mr, Walhmgmn, D. C.

NITED. STATES PATENT FFICFe BURlAL-CASKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 329,495, dated November 3,1885.

- Application filed August 24, 1885. Serial No.1'l5,168. (N model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES SIEBER and FREDERICK H. BORNTRAEGER, of Waterloo, Monroe county, and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improves ment in Life-Guard Signals for People Buried in aTrance, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which Figure l is a vertical section of a coffin with our improvement applied, part of the apparatus being shown in section and part in side view. Fig. 2 is atransverse section taken on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail vertical section taken on line 4 4, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a similar view taken on line 5 5, Fig. 1. Fig.6 is an enlarged vertical section of the fan and mechanism for operating it. Fig. 7 is a top view of the box, illustrating the manner of operating the valves or covers. Fig. 8 is a similar view of the top of the coffin. Fig. 9 is a vertical section of the top of the coffin, taken on line 9 9, Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a side view of the signal removed. Fig. 11 is a transverse section taken on line 11 11, Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a section taken on line 12 12, Fig. 10. Fig. 13 is an enlarged section showing the manner of securing the lower end of the fan or glass tube to the top of the coffin. Fig. 14 is a detail view showing the lower end of the wire leading from the battery to the body in the coffin.

Our invention relates to an apparatus whereby a person buried in atrance or before death is enabled to give asignal and to put into operation a fan or airblast mechanism to force air into the coffin and our invention consists in features of novelty hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a coffin inclosed in an ordinary rough box, B, as usual.

0 represents a fan connected to the coffin by means of a tube or pipe, 0, that extends from the fan to the top of the coifin, and immediately at the coffin we prefer to place a short tube, 0 between the main pipe and the top 50 of the coffin, as shown in Fig. 13. This forms a secure connection, and at the same time permits the easy removal of the pipe when the proper time comes for it to be removed. The fan is operated by any suitable train of gearing, E, and this gearing is set in operation by the movement of the body in the coffin, with which it is connected by means of a cord, E, connected to the hand of the person, and to a trigger, E placed beneath a lever, E, of the clock-work of the fan. The movement of the person s hand will force the lever and trigger into the position shown by dotted lines, Fig. 6, which will start the movement of the clock-' work and the rotation of the fan,thus forcing air into the coffin. Connected to the front end of the coffin, and projecting upward through the ground, is a large tube, F, preferably made oval in transverse section, as shown in Fig. 3, at its lower end, and made round, with a proj ection, F, at its upper end, as shown in Fig. 2. G represents a lamp supported in the lower part of this tube,the supporting wire or string fitting into the projection F of the upper part of the tube. The object of making the lower part of the tube oval is to permit the suspension ofthe 1amp,and by making the upper part of the shape described the supporting wire or string of the lamp is held in the projection F, where it is notinterfered with by anything co mingin contact with it. Thelamp is introduced bypassingit down through the largepart of the tube, as shown in Fig. 2, and then is swung over beneath the projection F when it reaches the lower part of the tube. Above the lamp is a reflector, F, to throwthe light upon the face of the body, so that a person looking down through the tube can see the face of the body in the coffin. Within this tube is a spiral spring, H, held between four rods, (more or less,) H, which are supported at the lower end by a disk, H, and at the upper end by a spider, H (See Figs. 10 and 11.) Extending up through this spring, disk, and head is a staff or rod, I, the lower end of which is secured to a small disk or head, I, and a trig- 95 ger or dog, 1 the latter of which engages over a bail or loop, J, on the disk H. This trigger is connected by a string, J, to the hand of the body in the coffin, and any movement of the hand will pull the trigger from means of a wire passing down through the the bail, and as soonmas this takes place the spring will. pull thedisk H up toward the spider-lever, forcing the rods H upward. The spider is made fast to the staff or rod, so as not to move thereon, and the rods pass freely through the spider. Connected to their upper ends is a disk, K, which also passes loosely over the rod or staff, and is moved upward by the action of the spring, as described. Connected to this latter disk by pins L, fitting in holes therein, isaplate, L, carrying feathers or other signals, L This plate is carried up also by the action of the spring connected to the top of the rod or" staff, thus giving a signal that indicates the movement of the body, which hasdisengaged the dog. fromthe bail, as above described, and inaddition to this signal we also prefer to form an arm which-will alsobe put into action by the movement of the body. One manner of doing; this is by means of a simple electric alarm i device, (shown at M, Fig. 1,) connected by tube and connected to abattery, N, locatedlat the lower end of the tube. the battery to the persons hand, andthis wire is insulated, except for a short distance, as

shown at -N, Fig. 14'. It has on its end an insulated ring, N, which may fit over the thumb of the body, and when the hand is--- moved the exposed part of the wire will comein contact with the body, completing the cir-- cuit between the alarm andthe ground to the body inthe coffin. This arrangement, however, may be changed, if desired, and another" means of forming a connection between the battery and ground substituted therefor.

The alarm we have shown consists of theit would be removed by withdrawing the tubes and filling the places which they occupy with To prevent this dirt entering the coffin,

dirt. we secure upon the box (B) lid, valves or slides I, which are held back away fromthe openings while the tubes are in place, and as soon as the tubes are withdrawn the valves or covers are moved over the openings by a suitable spring, P. also held back from the opening at the head of the coffin, and when this tube is removed the glass, which works in grooves, as shown in Figs. 8' and 9, is moved forward to its normal position, covering the opening by means of a spring, R, placed behind the glass in-an opening or socket, R, in the cover of the coffin. The glass may be provided withza stem or projection, by which it is pulled back 3 against the spring to allow the tube to be inserted, this pin or projection working in a A- wire leads from The usual glass of the coffin is" slot, T, in the topof the coffin. (SeeFigs. 8

and. 9.)

We do not wish to confine ourselves to the exact form and arrangement of the apparatus shown for the purpose described, as the same may be changed without altering or affecting the essential characters of our invention.

The top of the coffin may have avalve, W,

hinged. to it, as shown in Fig. 8, which will be closed, when the tube 0 is withdrawn, by spring V. The valve is shown closed in full lines, Fig. 8, and open in dotted lines.

v The preferred top of the outside case may be divided in two parts, as indicated by the line X, Fig. 6, and the top of the coffin may be divided in two parts, as shown by the line lfin without removing the dirt from over the" coffin.

What we claim, and desire to secure by Let- ;ters Patent, is-

1. Ina life-guard signal for people buried in a trance, the combination of a tube extending from the coffin upward through the ground, alamp suspended inthe tube, and a reflector above the lamp, substantially as and for the jpurpose set forth.

2. In a life-guard signal for people buried in atrance,the combination of the tube extendingfrom the coffin upward through the ground,

alamp suspended in the tube, and a-refl'ector above the lamp, the tube being oval in transverse section at its lower end and made round with projections at its upper end, substantially asdescribed.

tubeex-tending upward therefrom, a spider 3. The combination, with the coffin, of a I OD :and a fiXedrod in said tube, a spring sur- 4 g rounding said rod, rods passing through open- .iings in said spider, disks secured to the ex- ;tremities of said rod, a signal secured to theupper one of said disks, a bail and trigger conmeeting the lower disk with the fixedrod, and connection between the body and the trigger, as set forth.

4. The combination, with a coffin, of an and connection between said make and breakand the body in the coffin, as set forth.

iina trance, the combination of the coffin, a" fan, and a connection between the fan and the motion by the movement of the body,-sub- :stantially as set forth.

in a trance, the combination of the coffin,

1 tubes extending upward from the coffin, valves 5. Ina life-guard signal for people buried 7. In a life-guard signal for people buried electric-alarm circuit having amake and break I body in the coffin, whereby the fan is set in- 6. In a life-guard signal for people buried 1 in a trance, the combination of the coffin, fan,-.

; tube connecting the fan with the coffin, trainor slides pivoted to the top of the coffin, and slot and secured to the glass, substantially as springs for operating the valves or slides when and for the purposes set forth. 2113; htubes are removed, substantlally as set CHARLES SIEBER 5 8. In a coffin, the combination, with the FREDERICK BORMRAEGER' glass, of a groove in which it slides, a spring In presence ofwithin said groove, a slot opening from said GEO. H. KNIGHT, groove, and a stem projecting through said BENJN. A. KNIGHT. 

